1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image formation apparatuses and methods for processing print setting information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent printers and digital multifunctional printers (hereinafter called “image formation apparatuses”) can support a plurality of types of page-description languages (PDL) for printing. Such image formation apparatuses are capable of receiving PDL data from a personal computer (PC) for printing and of digitizing information printed on paper using a scanner (image reader) attached thereto and converting the digitized information into a file format designated by a user as well. A created file can be stored in a device or on a server depending on the user's usage and can be designated for printing as needed. Such a file can be sent directly to a designated mail address, and a user can easily use the file with a PC.
Image files created by the image formation apparatuses may have a plurality of file formats. Formats such as PDF, PS and XPS are typically known. These formats, however, are different in the way of indicating sheet sizes for printing. They are roughly categorized into two types: a physical sheet size that defines a sheet size for actual printing (hereinafter called a physical sheet size); and a size representing the area of a page used for display in an application or the like (hereinafter called a logical sheet size).
Some file formats use both of the types, others use only one of them, and the information on a sheet size that is required differs between file formats.
Additionally, information indicating a sheet size varies with the method of inputting print data to an image formation apparatus. One exemplary method for inputting print data to an image formation apparatus directly designates a file for printing in a printing system or on a server from a host PC via a printer driver. Typically, however, an easy-portable device such as a USB memory is connected to the apparatus, and a file in the device is directly designated.
The printing system using a printer driver adds a print setting set by the printer driver to an original value of an electronic file and sends the same to the image formation apparatus. On the other hand, when connecting a device such as a USB memory, a file in the USB memory is directly designated as print data. At this time, in the case of a file not having print setting information in the file format itself (e.g., an XPS file or a PS file), unless print setting information is correctly set therefor, a user cannot perform printing as expected. To cope with this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-079819 discloses a method for, for a file without a physical sheet size, automatically selecting a sheet using information corresponding to a logical sheet size of a bounding box or similar information, for example.
Files having only a logical sheet size set, however, are created in various cases. In the aforementioned conventional technique, a sheet size is uniquely decided always using a logical sheet size irrespective of the situation in which the file was created, and therefore the sheet output might have a size not intended by the user. For instance, when a file of an XPS format is saved with PowerPoint, the file does not have a PrintTicket added thereto. At this time, when a page size is designated as A4, the width and the height of a fixed page indicating a sheet size for display (logical sheet size) will be set at a smaller size than the size of A4. Then, conventionally an appropriate sheet size is selected using this logical sheet size.
However, when a sheet having a size closer to the width and the height designated as the fixed page is set for the image formation apparatus, a sheet that not A4 might be used as a physical sheet size and be output against the user's intention. Therefore, using a logical sheet size unconditionally may lead to the output of a sheet size not intended by the user.